Olive Oil Scam REVEALED (And How to Spot the Real Stuff)

In April 2007, U.S. Marshals busted into storage facilities in New York and New Jersey to seize a counterfeit and potentially dangerous substance.

The product they seized? Olive oil labeled as extra virgin—10,000 cases of it. Turns out it was mostly soybean oil disguised under the label of olive oil. The street value of this bust? Around $700,000.

That’s no chump change. With such a profit at stake, it’s no wonder that Italian police raids have resulted in the arrests of dozens of Italians involved in mafia rings involved in selling and distributing fake olive oil. Sounds more like a movie plot than real life, right? And with so many of the world’s olive oil coming from Italy—either being produced there or just exported—that means that a lot of us have reason to worry.

Olive oil fact: Italy is the world’s largest importer and exporter of olive oil, but Spain is the largest producer.

Olive oil fraud is rampant

According to a University of California at Davis study, more than two-thirds of common brands of extra-virgin olive oil found in California grocery stores aren’t what they claim to be.

The oils were either spoiled or made from lower quality olives unfit to be labeled “extra virgin.” Even worse, some were outright counterfeits, made from soybean, hazelnut, and even fish oils mixed with low grade olive-pomace oil. Not only is this a scam to your wallet and your health, robbing you of the true health benefits of real, high-quality extra-virgin olive oil, but it’s a major safety hazard too—especially to those with allergies to some of the counterfeit oils actually used in place of olive oil.

Here’s a video I made about counterfeit olive oil

Why bother counterfeiting olive oil?

Far more valuable than other vegetable oils, olive oil is also more costly and time consuming to produce. So people have been adulterating it since the time of Christ.

These days, olive oil is the most adulterated agricultural product coming out of Europe.

Part of what makes olive oil so valuable is its many touted health benefits. Rich in monounsaturated fats and antioxidants, olive oil can lower LDL cholesterol and blood pressure while stabilizing blood sugar levels and reducing inflammation in the body.

Is your olive oil lying about its virginity?

If you buy olive oil at a supermarket, the odds aren’t stacked in your favor. This is doubly true if you shop by price or consume “light” extra-virgin olive oil.

According to this NPR interview, it’s possible that some shoppers in America have never had 100% pure, extra-virgin olive oil in their lives—even though they’ve been buying products labeled that way for decades.

And don’t think you’ll be able to tell the good stuff by taste alone—even master food critics and olive oil producers themselves failed miserably in blind taste tests. The results were so embarrassing, in fact, that the results of the blind taste tests were never released.

Just trust us, you can’t go by taste, smell, or appearance alone. You must know how to find the good stuff! So listen up as we give you the deets on how to do just that.

How to find real olive oil

1. Be skeptical with labels + stay away from “light” varieties

Hate to break it to you, but “cold pressed” or “first cold pressed” labels are usually just lip service. Extra-virgin olive oil is typically spun with centrifuges rather than pressed, so the term is usually pointless these days.

Even the highly coveted “extra-virgin” label doesn’t mean much, as some low-grade counterfeit oils even slap the “extra-virgin” label on their bottles illegally.

But… even if some of the oil labeled “extra virgin” is in fact fake, the others that don’t even bother labeling their oil that way are likely to be much worse.

Stay away from anything labeled with meaningless buzzwords like “pure,” “natural,” “premium,” “made in Italy” and the like.

Same goes for “light” olive oil. Stay far, far away. This is the worst stuff on the market.

2. Instead, look for respected stamps of approval

Internationally, there are more seals to seek out, like the Extra Virgin Alliance (EVA), and UNAPROL, the respected Italian olive grower’s association, which stamps their recommended bottles with a “100% Qualita Italiana” label.

The North American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA) also tests member samples and marks qualifying products with a NAOOA Certified Oil stamp, denoted by a red circular logo with a green olive branch. International Olive Council certification is another good one to look for.

3. Go by location

Certain countries are good bets for great olive oil just based on their standards—like Australia, which has the world’s highest olive oil standards. Chile is another country with a great reputation as a quality olive oil producer.

Australia and Chile both received the highest marks from the United States International Trade Commissions’s report on average quality of extra-virgin olive oil.

Californian olive oils are also far less adulterated than imported oils, so many people trust oils grown there—especially if it carries the COOC Certified Extra Virgin stamp of approval as mentioned above.

4. Buy in season and in dark containers

Olive oil degrades in the light and heat, so don’t buy clear bottles sitting near windows or in the sun. Opt instead for dark bottles or cans, where the oil will be better protected from degradation by light.

Olive oil can also start to go bad as soon as you open it, so try smaller bottles that you can use more quickly, or store it in the fridge or another cool spot between uses to keep it from going rancid.

As far as dates go, you don’t want anything older than a year. So if you can find bottles with the harvest or production dates listed on them, great.

5. Do your homework

If all else fails, find a reputable company, and buy small bottles from them to try. If you’re local to a company that produces olive oil, ask to tour their facility or see where the olives are grown or produced.

You got this!

Now tell us in the comments below, have you ever had a bad olive oil experience? What did you do? What about an experience finding an olive oil you love?

Jacqueline Aug 11 at 9:44 am

Bruce Jul 15 at 12:54 pm

We made a salad the other day of cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onions and bell pepper. I dressed it with a vinaigrette made from red wine vinegar, herbs and Costco Olive oil. The salad was extremely bitter. It was so bitter we couldn’t eat it. I assumed the bitterness was from the cucumbers. We made another salad the following day and it was bitter as well. I checked every individual ingredient and finally realized it was the olive oil. I had my wife try it and she agreed it was terribly bitter.We called Costco and they said to return it, but they hadn’t had any complaints. I’ll return it and hope they get some results back to us.

Katie Aug 3 at 5:13 am

Eleonora Angelelli Jul 10 at 5:10 am

Hello! What about asking for chemical tests? I import single estate organic and biodynamic extra virgin olive oil from small producers in Italy. My producers test their oil every year and through certain parameters you can verify the quality of the oil. Then obviously you are never sure 100% unless you produce the oil for yourself, but the market is based on trust. I am provided with any evidence possible to guarantee the quality of the product and I make it available to my customers. I trust my producers, my customers trust me. I think we need to gradually step back from “blind” purchasing and start researching more about the products we buy. The shorter the chain, the easier it is.

Jeff Feb 10 at 8:24 am

Jubi Jan 13 at 2:17 pm

Wow! Thanks Mamanatural for an insightful information on the grades of olive oils. Who would have thought! Amazing what people would do to make sale! I’ve always loved my hint of olive oils with my natural dressings, especially for my salads.I still love it as part of my daily skin regimen. Now I know to be more observant when I decide to make a purchase. Thanks again

novak Dec 11 at 9:55 pm

Olive oil scams have been around a long time. In the movie The Godfather, Don Corleone’s business was importing olive. You think that stuff was legit?

Even Mark Twain told a story of overhearing two businessmen at the table next to him in a restaurant bragging about how they take cheap cottonseed oil and ship it to Italy. There his partners would bottle it as olive oil and send it back to the US at a much higher price

novak Dec 11 at 9:37 pm

I have been using Organic Pumpkin seed oil. It has pleasant taste. I originally bought it as an antidote to hair loss because it lowers DHT. However I found after a week or two of using it that my tinnitus was 90% gone. Googled it a found that others had the same results.

glory flor Nov 9 at 1:53 am

Have you heard about the black seed oil? I start purchasing it when my husband is suffering from insomnia. After two weeks of taking it he sleeps tight. I also learned that it can be used as a supplement. I even introduce it to my parents. If you want to have a healthy and happy life, try using the black seed oil. You can visit this site, https://theblessedseed.com/ to have more information.

sharmaine Nov 16 at 12:29 am

I also used black seed oil for my diet. I say that it makes me more healthy and it help me a lot in my diet. Eventhough I eat what I usually take but it helps in breaking down fats in my body. Now, I used it as a supplement with my parents to have a healthy body.

Richie Dp Sep 24 at 12:49 am

Thanks for the insight. Each of us has different body types, age, metabolism, active response to burn fat caused by sodium, hidden preservatives, detergents used in food production, residue from solvents. I’ve found that Carbonell in a small can improves my metabolism in a way I can feel my belly, middle waist and sides fatty tissue begin to isolate and it helps dissolve the fat. Two to three shot glasses within seven days.

Kris Giannakos Sep 23 at 7:54 pm

Very well written article and gets to the point of not buying or trusting any olive oils these days. We have been in the business for 5 generations producing olive oils and selling mostly in European markets. Over the past few years we have seen an increase in corruption and adulterer olive oils and other food products. It sickening that some companies are always looking at making profits off cheating good people. the media and social media have done an amazing job educating those on how to buy authentic olive oil. Our suggestion is to get to know the source! With many farmers markets and Amazon now allowing direct distribution of olive oil, it takes from the risk of forking over lots of dough for authentic olive oil. Our goal is to continue to educate the public and our community on olive oil and its flavours and health benefits. I read one comment from Richard saying that olive oil is unhealthy. My grandmother a.k.a YiaYia is now 107 and still lucid and has mobility. The avg life expectancy in the village and in our family is 90 years and continues to increase. Mediterranean diet is still the best. Food is also the tastiest. Please get to learn who you buy your olive oils from and do some research. You will find many farmers/producers that now distribute directly. Υισσου. Κριστος

Emma May 2 at 1:46 am

We use Ilias and Sons exclusively now and sre so happy with the quality and taste of all your products. We even use your EVOO to help with untaggling hair and moisturizer in the bath! Thanks so much Kristos!

Deborah Bray Sep 18 at 7:14 pm

I used to get (Californian) Hain Olive Oil in the 1990’s in Canada, but it disappeared off the shelves and since then I have not tasted any olive oil that is a good as Hain.

Can olive oil (President’s Choice “New World EVOO, first cold pressed from estate grown olives”; product of Chile and Gold Medal winner at the 2013 L’Orciolo d’Oro competition in Italy) have a strong peppery taste? The flavor is very bitter and strongly hot or peppery. It does not taste at all like olives.

Krinos first cold pressed Kalamata EVOO tasted pretty good. It is produced in Kalamata, Greece.

gbpfan Sep 20 at 8:39 pm

Elizabeth Batten Nov 17 at 8:58 am

Jerry gaetano Aug 23 at 3:56 pm

Read the label carefully. Never purchase olive oil that states “cold pressed” ….Always look for “first cold pressed” ! Many olive oils are obtained from the second and sometimes the third pressing.. Use only extra virgin, first cold pressed olive oil and stay with reputable companies.

Linda May 19 at 9:52 pm

Richard Apr 26 at 8:08 am

Olive oil, and every other oil, is refined and not healthy no matter how many dietitians and doctors try to sell you the idea that it is the primary ingredient in the Mediterranean Diet that makes it healthy. Science has proven that it hurts your arteries and reduces blood flow almost immediately after consumption. Do people so hate vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, olives and pasta that do they do not understand why so many Italians are healthy? The longest living population on the planet earth is in Okinawa and they do not consume one drop of olive oil. Wake up people!

Dolores May 9 at 12:03 pm

Richard…please list your scientific references for all your statements. Agree re ‘olive oil’ quality class as not being the healthiest that class is refined…started as very bad quality pure olive oil that needed to be refined chemically to remove severe defects. For the other classes of olive oil I suggest you go visit a ‘good’ mill and see the modern ‘cold extraction’ mechanical process for using mechanical force to crush and the centrifuge technology to quickly collect the oil from the fruit that contains antioxidants and other bioactive components from the fruit. Yes, the Mediterranean Diet is based on what you describe… not only for the Italians but Spaniards, Greeks, Portuguese, southern France. Here’s a project for you…take a look at this map re vegetable consumption in the world… then go to the WHO and map out incidences of different types of diseases to see if you find any correlations. Keep in mind that other factors come into play re health… quality of water and level of air pollution, level of social interactions on a daily basis with their community that affects how the central nervous system can control hormones, etc., … all kinds of factors. Nothing is as black and white as you describe! not the Italians! What about issues such as the consumption of high levels of sugar, white flour, modified ingredients in food, glucose-fructose, etc. From my perspective perhaps if you value ‘REAL’, ‘CLEAN’, food, then look at broader sources of information.

Julie Miller May 24 at 8:51 pm

Richard: Great. . .I just spent $45. on good olive oil, because I found out I have clogged arteries. I have one stent, and pray that I can find out how to clear my arteries so I can get off the medicine! I’m 66 and taking medicine for the first time in my life! S I G H. . .

Roderick Beck May 28 at 2:47 pm

Vincent Jul 1 at 8:56 am

To be honest I have strong doubts about your statements (with no reference). I use “a lot” of extra virgin olive oil (the real one, I buy it from my uncle) and of course my diet is Mediterranean-like. Just two things 1) The Mediterranean diet has been proved scientifically to be the healthiest and the most balanced among all diets (reference? all the scientific articles out there and my gf, a Biologist & Nutritionist) 2) The Italians are the second in the world, after the Japanese, for longevity. What I always point out is a simple concept that abroad is hard to make people get; I call it “sense of perception” – it is a very thin line (invisible for many) that gives very different results. This concept applies everywhere in daily life. It is the attitude of one to make the “right” decision based on both functionality and external impact that something/decision can provoke. An example, you can take proteins and carbohydrates by eating eggs, bacons and sausages in the morning (functionality – is fine here), however it would not be the right time to do so (external impact – you will smell bad, you cannot continue having breakfast like that, it will affect your health in a long run). It is to say that one can have the best product in the world (e.g. olive oil), but if it is not used in a proper way, it would be as bad as the worst product. Have some “style” when doing things or making decision. I am not sure you will get my point….

Moe Apr 5 at 11:27 pm

FUNNY! Because the one I use is on BOTH lists; that is one the “authentic olive oil” list and also on the NOT authentic olive oil list…further news for you, it has the “certification insignia”…what now!? Somebody’s benifiting from all this “doubt” being sewn!

mike johnson Mar 31 at 11:15 am

Monty Prusia Mar 23 at 4:20 pm

Im so glad I googled pure olive oil and had no idea there was such a large amount of fake oil on the market . My wife has a painful ear infection so I looked up home remedies and pure olive oil was the first recomandation to try . Thank you for the heads up on this problem . Cant wait to try it on my saled either , but first her ear

Musti Akyol Feb 6 at 8:16 am

Last summer I was on vacation for three months in a city called Ayvalik in Aegean Sea shore, Turkey. This place is very famous for olive trees and olive oil. There are plenty of producers of the olive oil. Most of the local people have small press in their homes to press the oil, filter it and bottle them. The reason is that they don’t quite trust the producers in the town. Here how the process work. Lots of people have olive trees in this town. They pick the olives around October and November. They take them to local press shops (producers). The press shops tell the people “we will call you when it is bottled” You go pick it up. What you really get is not %100 extra virgin first pressed oil. They put some first pressed oil into your bottles and fill the rest with other cheep oils. If you know the local small producers you wait there next to the press and keep on eye of your olives and the bottles. Then you get %100 first pressed extra virgion olive oil. You need to wait a while before you use it.

Irene reardon Mar 5 at 9:14 pm

Moe Apr 5 at 11:33 pm

Richard Apr 26 at 8:11 am

A good test is to consume the oil and if damages your arteries and reduces your blood flow you stop consuming it. Humans have really become ignorant and the proof is they think a refined product is more healthy for them than the whole olive with all the nutrients and fiber included.

Moe Apr 5 at 11:37 pm

I heard the USDA Certified Organic thing is based quiet a bit on farmer honest/word…like they may randomly test but not regularly…what’s a person to do?…grow your own!?…but then we’d all be farming and nothing else much would get done!

Richard Apr 26 at 8:14 am

Has the thought of not consuming any oil ever come to someone’s mind? There are healthy fats such as nuts,seeds and avocado that go well with salads. Frying animal products or vegetables is not a healthy for of cooking so why is it so many care about oil?

Jim P Jan 11 at 11:11 am

I wouldn’t doubt what you’ve heard. Just like angus beef is the best. That is just a ploy by the angus beef a association to sell angus and sell it at a higher price. Angus MAY have a bit more marbled fat but taste and tenderness–not really. A butcher probably couldn’t tell you by looking if it was angus or same grade slaughter beef

Marcia Oct 17 at 8:49 am

Angie Oct 26 at 2:29 pm

I found this article while googling Filipo Berio Organic evoo. I used it in a balsalmic vinaigrette dressing last night and it tasted very bad. I tasted all of the ingredients and it is definitely the evoo. It has a bitter chemical taste. I bought it at Walmart which is not my first choice to buy olive oil from but it was USDA Organic so I thought it would be safe. For the same dressing I had previously used Wild Harvest olive oil and it was the best tasing balsalmic vinaigrette I have ever made. Wild Harvest brand isn’t usually my first choice for anything because it is the organic store brand for Cub Foods but it was on sale. I will go back to that one though sale or not!

Al Bi Oct 26 at 8:22 am

My family owns olive orchard in Croatia. Same day olives are picked they are taken for cold press. However All the leftover mush and pits that we usually throw away now it’s sold to Italians which they use to make (magic) “olive oil” out of it.

T P Jan 16 at 8:47 pm

Samysamy Aug 5 at 12:34 pm

The biggest olive oil producer in the world is Spain follow by Italy..some concerns about Italy it is the second oil producer but the “biggest oil IMPORTER”in Europe ..Why Italy need to import so much oil…why this bigg industry need this FOREING oil from other countries?They reserve the good and real oil for “locals”and manufacture the imported oil..to resale as”oil COMING from Italy”but not italian oil. For too long after second world war two ..Italy..Greese.France among others countries.Infraestructure for food,oil,wines production was destroyed..depending on other nations to supplied EVERY THINGS..that way Chile,Australia,USA,Brazil,Mexico,Argentina and others become suppliers of food,wines,olive oil of excellent quality..GLOBALISATION allow us now to enjoy standardized quality with reazonable prices..any way..Remember the proverb”Forfeit paper money was invented the day after paper money was created”…is a humans nature for some individuals,organization countries..of course with the exception of( CHINA)…LOL.

Kris Giannakos Oct 12 at 9:29 am

Hello All,

We have been in the Olive Oil business for over 5 Generations and it sickens me that the large enterprises, among many other food companies are consistently frauding consumers. As a parent. i feel as if I’m more aware of what i feed my children and as such spend way to much of my time researching good food companies that offer the “Real” product. We used to sell our products in Europe mostly through co-operatives in Greece. But now that people have woken up and are more aware and conscious of what there putting in there bodies, we have created a small business, importing our products right from our Olive Grove in Greece and distributing online and directly to the retailers. Our products cost more, but you get what’s in store:) Check us out on Facebook and see what our customers are saying about our PURE EVOO. http://www.iliasandsons.com or FB. http://www.facebook.com/facebook.

We have been bombarded with questions from our loyal consumers about a blog report that they read on the internet called “Fake Olive Oils.” The Colavita brand is named in this report along with other brands. This is not the first time that these false rumors have been circulated, and as long as there are competitors that want to besmirch our brand to achieve a competitive advantage, it likely won’t be the last. Let me take this opportunity then to respond to those who have spread such false accusations and to assure our consumers and customers around the world that what you are reading has no merit whatsoever. First, it is important that you know that the basis for these accusations is a report that was issued five years ago in 2010 by the University of California Davis Olive Center. This report was funded by the California olive oil industry-therefore, the blog’s assertion that the report was “independent” was incorrect and misleading. Second, the blog falsely quotes the California report. The study did NOT conclude that the oils it tested were fake or adulterated. Although the study alleges that certain oils that they tested did not meet requirements for “Extra Virgin”—that alone does not mean the oils were fake or adulterated. Extra virgin olive oil is a natural product that deteriorates over time or with exposure to light and heat. It would be very easy to achieve the test results desired by the report’s financial backers by the manner in which the samples were selected and handled. Third, the blog fails to point out that the 2010 report has been completely discredited. The testing methods employed in the report had been rejected as unreliable by the International Olive Council, which is operated under the auspices of the United Nations. Furthermore, for the subjective taste component of the tests, samples of all brands were sent to be tasted in Australia, where olive oil has uniquely different characteristics from European oils, rather than to Europe where most of the tested brands were produced. Finally, a California law firm dropped their lawsuit based on the 2010 report when independent testing could not reproduce the report’s findings. You should also know that the olive oil industry trade association, the North American Olive Oil Association, contacted the author of this false blog to raise the above concerns, yet the author stated she had “no interest” in issuing a correction. It is a truism that you cannot believe everything you read on the Internet. But what you can believe in is the quality and authenticity of the Colavita brand. Every bottle is produced under the supervision of my family as it has been for generations. Every production lot is tested, re-tested and released only when final approval is provided by the Colavita family. We thank you for the trust and confidence that you have shown us through the years. We assure you that this trust has not been misplaced. Your loyal business has meant so much to my family that we consider all of you a part of ours. Respectfully yours, Giovanni Colavita President, CEO

L godio Oct 17 at 5:53 pm

Giovanni Colavita::

Your olive oil has always been a top quality for many years, but the Colivita label and bottles have been taken over by the Italian mob who sell Colavita ‘knock-off’ products to American supermarkets representatives that can’t tell the difference between olive oil and cheap cooking oil. That’s why Colivita is on the UC Davis list.

This is not only true of olive oil but also Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. The Italiann gorernment needs to crack down on mob exports to America of fake olive oil and Parm. Reggiano

Heidi Weaver Nov 1 at 8:27 pm

Renee Mar 5 at 8:35 pm

Thanks so much for this clarification Giovanni. I was using a brand of olive oil that was on this list and they said that the test is to put it into the refrigerator and, if it is the real deal, it will turn solid. It did turn solid, so I was confused. I went out and purchased another brand as my current brand was running low. I could not find the brands stated to be the real deal in our small town here in Utah, so I’m glad to see that my olive oil is most likely okay. The only one I could find here in our town is the Kirkland (Costco) brand, but you have to purchase a HUGE amount at Costco and I can never use it up fast enough.

Louise Sep 21 at 10:02 am

Janey Lee Sep 6 at 1:18 pm

Folks, olive oil changes from year to year. Manufacturers are constantly changing their sources. Any lists of authentic olive oils should be updated regularly. I recommend this one. http://www.aboutoliveoil.org/qualityseal.html

Janet Atticus Sellers Nov 17 at 5:20 pm

C douthitt Jul 30 at 8:51 pm

2007? So what. The industry has not changed. The brands listed as bad are still poor quality, adulterated lamp oil. Bertolli- owns ONE olive tree. ONE. It is in front of the corp HQ and is dying- it is out of its climate. Bertolli is the WORST of the worst and buys and sells the lowest quality ouls in the world. They are the Clintons of the olive oil business. They produce nothing. Sell the worst at ripoff prices and deceive the consumer deliberately. The EU and olive oil industry is unable or unwilling to stop them. Bertolli buys off the legal system and is ‘above the law’. However, just because it doesn’t say Bertolli doesn’t mean it isn’t part of their crap. Why eat bad stuff thinking it is good for you? If your bottle drips, put it in a baggie and quit whining ??

frank dougal Aug 11 at 10:37 pm

Lou Gari Oct 3 at 4:17 pm

Lynda Hill Oct 4 at 10:53 am

C. Douthitt got it right the first time. Hillary wants to know how Trump could lose a billion dollars in his own money in a casino business…. why isn’t she worried about the $7 billion of our taxpayers’ money that she “lost”? The list is so long of the many things she should be in prison for…let’s just hope she makes it there!

D. Polak Jun 20 at 8:15 am

Everyone here should look up the episode of 60 minutes, which aired earlier this year, on CBS..regarding counterfeit olive oil controlled by the mafia in Italy.. They give you advice on what to look for when purchasing, and legitimate websites of growers in Italy not involved..

Brian Feb 19 at 1:04 pm

Very disappointed in your website. Your article has a date at the top, “January 24”. No year. How relevant is it? Who the hell knows? The article references a raid from 2007. Wow, current news. All the comments have a similar lack of a year. For all we know, some or all of the companies listed have corrected the problems.

This information is the next thing to useless because we can’t tell how recent it is. You’re not the only site that does this; it’s rampant across the net, unfortunately. But I used Google to find some information, and as far as I’m concerned, I can’t trust your site. I need to continue on and find another source of information.

L Mar 26 at 6:33 am

I don’t agree. This site gives me a good launchpad to do additional investigation on my own. Calm down and consider that it is not this lady’s job to constantly update this post and provide free research for those who aren’t willing to get off their backsides & to do it on their own. Why don’t you use this site and also check this out http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/01/24/opinion/food-chains-extra-virgin-suicide.html?_r=1&assetType=opinion So I’ve learned that I really can’t trust the “Italian” olive oil I’ve been using. And second that Kirkland or a couple of the others this lady listed have an acceptable price and are a better bet to get the real deal.

Heather Aug 5 at 4:16 pm

Same here, since I am allergic to soy, our family of ten have been only buying extra virgin olive oil to avoid soy, so I am pretty upset because we have been using it on a daily basis. This may explain why I am still having allergic reactions after I have eliminated all foods that I am allergic to. WHAT A SCAM!!!!

Frank Feb 2 at 10:10 am

Look I just want to know what olive oil to buy that’s real and what’s carp I will worry about my own health risks. I feel violated by these scammers and really would like to buy from a reputable source that’s all this argument about rapeseed oils is irrelevant and has no place on here this is about fake olive oil so get over it.

Donna Bliss Aug 5 at 11:12 am

Lynn Feb 9 at 8:12 pm

I believe Botticelli EVOO is the real deal as just tried it and found it delicious for salads and dipping. Exquisite compared to all other EVOO’s I’ve tried! Tastes & smells like olives too. The highly “recommended” Kirkland organic EVOO (glass bottle) is awful; I bought 2 based on online reviews that it’s pure, but I now wonder if something has changed and the mafia has gotten to those groves too. It might be a matter of taste but when you taste the real deal, it’s impressive & eye-opening…at least it was for me! The Kirkland tastes likes nothing like olives & more like some odd chemical has been added…

JRATT Feb 20 at 6:12 pm

I have had good luck with California Olive Ranch Chef Size 47.3 oz $13.88 at Jet.com free shipping on orders over $35, 15% off first order. Great real olive oil for 30 cents per oz, no reason to pay more.

Lynda Hill Oct 4 at 10:59 am

I live in Texas and get Texas-made olive oil from Texas-grown olive trees at the Farmer’s Market. I wish I had their info with me right now. I’ll try to find it when I get home and repost here. I’ve always hated the flavor of olive oil and when I read about this the first time I realized why. The olive oil I buy from the Farmer’s Market is delicious! They make a lot of flavored vinegars that are fantastic too!

luke Jan 28 at 8:28 pm

Hope Henchey Dec 10 at 7:12 pm

nigratruo Sep 7 at 10:35 am

Sadly, I don’t think that Kirklands organic is really pure olive oil, as that likely goes though many middle men and middle men are the huge problem, they might stretch it with other oils, because the end seller would never find out or does not know really. And even if they tested Kirklands at one point and it was true, this might have changed, as large chains like Costco change suppliers on a regular basis. And since it does not say on the package exactly where it was produced and filled into bottles there is no way to tell. Everybody is scamming everywhere, in Europe as well as in the US, so unless you know it is real and have seen the lab report or know that it is done locally, it is very likely fake.

Lynn Feb 9 at 8:13 pm

Lynda Hill Oct 4 at 11:04 am

I’ve read that you’re better off trying to buy local olive oil because olive oil goes rancid quickly and by the time we receive it in the US from Italy or any other country, it’s already rancid even if it was actually a good oil to start with.

Deana Nov 23 at 7:12 am

So what do we do about the fact that no produce from California (including olives) should EVER be eaten now because of the radiation that still daily pours into California from Japan? Is there a real extra virgin from anywhere else that we can trust?

matti Aug 31 at 12:13 am

Lynda Hill Oct 4 at 12:22 pm

Try Texas grown/made olive oil! It’s delicious! I buy it at the Farmer’s Market–I can’t remember the name of the company. I just googled “Texas olive oil” and found several links. I would think they can mail them.

Healthy Notions, LLC Sep 22 at 7:27 pm

Thanks so much for the informative article! I am so used to reading food labels that my eyes are crossed, lol. Oils are so important to our health and choosing healthy oils to cook with and to use for salad dressings, baking, etc. are so important these days.

Vince Sep 12 at 8:10 pm

OliveChirper Sep 12 at 8:34 pm

By “regular olive oil,” I take it you mean olive oil that is just labeled “olive oil.” This is *refined* olive oil with 5% virgin-class (not extra virgin) olive oil added so it isn’t completely tasteless. I don’t know of any study (at UC Davis or elsewhere) looking for adulterated or substandard regular olive oil; unlike EVOO, “olive oil” is too cheap to be a significant target of food fraud.

nigratruo Sep 7 at 10:38 am

cynthia Sep 12 at 11:37 am

UC Davis did the study, the only oils meeting the standards were Californian…hmm. Could it be that the study is biased? Not saying that some adulteration of oil is occurring, but you have to consider the source and the outcome of the study.

OliveChirper Sep 12 at 12:53 pm

Cynthia, your skepticism is entirely reasonable, but in this case I think it’s misplaced. First, it isn’t quite true that only CA EVOOs passed: Kirkland Signature Organic (not the regular Kirkland product) also passed, but that’s a minor point. The brands were taken off of supermarket shelves, and most supermarket product sold as olive oil *is* garbage. California oils tend to be of higher quality than supermarket oils, because the economics push them that way: they’re small companies, they don’t get the subsidies that EU producers and bottlers do, and land values and labor costs are high, so they can’t compete with EU-based mass-market pricing and there’s more incentive marketing plan based on quality with a commensurately higher price. Additionally, many EU supermarket brands package their oil in clear glass, which accelerates their degradation while sitting on the shelf, and typically the California oils are fresher by dint of a shorter transportation chain and small scale which lets them sell out every year.

Also, irrespective of the funding source, the oils were tested blind, and much of the chemical testing was actually done in Australia (and in many cases independently replicated by the UC Davis oil chemistry lab).

Again, there’s good and bad oil produced all over the world, but it would frankly be shocking if most supermarket olive oil *didn’t* fail, because supermarket olive oil is mostly lousy the day it leaves the bottler and only gets worse with time.

cynthia Sep 12 at 1:26 pm

Good points. I agree that there are a lot of “bad” oils hidden not only in nearly every processed product on the shelves of the ordinary (and even “health”!) store, and as pointed out in the article, that likely extends to the oils themselves. Just thought it seemed a bit too good to be true (UC Davis and California oils)! I personally use Bariani cold pressed california olive oil, which seems to be the real deal.

doug Sep 30 at 7:24 pm

Cynthia, you are correct. Bariani’s is definitely the real deal. The father brought the pressing blocks over from Italy years ago. I’ve been to their fields and presses near Sacramento and the family can certainly be trusted.

nigratruo Sep 7 at 10:43 am

Truth is that middle men drive up the risk of mixing the oil and stretching it to cheat, and the further the distance, the more middle men you will have. When you buy oil from Europe, you have probably about 5 middle men, and each one will mix it up a little. What you still get tastes and looks like EVO, but it is not anymore by any chance. In many cases, the end seller does not even know and assumes that it is real olive oil, while in fact the middle men adulterated it. Now if you buy local, chances are that the chain is simple, less people inbetween and that somebody still loves their craft and stands behind their product. But still, even somebody local here in california, that produces high quality olive oil, selling it to somebody in New York or Canada might have so many distributors and bottlers in between that in the end it again gets mixed up, without the end consumer / seller or the original producer knowing about it.

Olive oil is expensive, mixing it up with cheap oil is an easy (and sadly totally legal way) to make a lot of money. Unfortunately, it is not regulated and certified.

Shirley Sep 11 at 5:03 am

The California Olive Ranch bottle is not organic, but is Extra Virgin, first cold pressed, California grown, is in a dark green bottle, solidifies in the refrigerator, carries the California Olive Oil Council seal, NON GMO Project Verified and ingredients say: 100% natural unrefined extra virgin olive oil. Organic would have been much better but this bottle provided information that made me choose it over the imported varieties which I knew were questionable. Price was decent too.

nigratruo Sep 7 at 10:46 am

By the way, the world natural means absolutely nothing, any product can carry it. You could even call motor oil natural or a pharmaceutical prescription, as well as a vat full of plutonium (which is an artifical, no natural occuring element) I usually shy away from all product that carry it, as they usually mean exactly the opposite: I recently saw it on a product that had soy bean oil and canola oil in it and that both is 100% GMO, so the exact opposite of what natural means 😉

Jaslyn T. Sep 10 at 11:19 pm

OliveChirper Sep 11 at 6:05 am

As Shirley says, organic is better than non-organic, but that’s really a separate issue from the quality and authenticity of the oil. Certainly, you should avoid anything labeled “light” or “virgin”, and also “pure” or “pomace,” but the mere fact that the label says it’s extra-virgin doesn’t mean that it is. As I’ve pointed out several times in the comments here, “For a handy guide to authentic, high-quality EVOO, see the “Buyer’s Guide to Olive Oil in North America” by Tom Mueller, author of the famous New Yorker magazine exposé on olive oil fraud, and more recently of the excellent book “Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil:” ”http://www.extravirginity.com/great-oil/how-to-buy-great-olive-oil/

sophie Lemesurier Mar 22 at 8:04 am

nigratruo Sep 7 at 10:49 am

Sadly, the fridge test does not work really, it sometimes works, but sometimes not, so it is not something that you can depend on. The only thing that works 100% is sending it to a lab or, easier: Find a local producer that you can visit and/or that is written on the bottle, where it was produced and bottled (at the same place, no middle men) You want to get the bottle that they filled directly when they pressed the olives, everything else leaves it open for abuse and tampering by somebody trying to make money by stretching the oil and then reselling it, even whole sale bottlers are suspect.

Shirley Sep 10 at 5:03 pm

I bought a rather inexpensive olive oil at Walmart $5-6 for 16 oz and was about to throw it away when I read this report….but then i got to the bottom and read that the brand I bought California Olive Ranch brand is on the good list….So I wonder, if really true oils cost upwards of $15-17..what is this I bought a such a low price. I bought it because it was made in the US….but now not sure.

OliveChirper Sep 10 at 7:24 pm

Rest assured, California Olive Ranch (COR) is authentic. It’s not the best olive oil oil on the market, but it is 100% olives, is extracted entirely by mechanical means, meets the basic requirements of the International Olive Council. I may have slightly overstated things when I quoted $15-17 for 17 oz, but I’m also very surprised you found COR oil for as little as you say: check out the prices company’s online store for instance:http://shop.californiaoliveranch.com/

The other thing is that most COR oils are made from olive cultivars that are relatively low in phenolics; being as any oil you have now is at least 11 months old, it must really be reaching the ends of its decent days. See if you can find an oil from a Southern Hemisphere producer, which will be fresher.

All that said, I wouldn’t simply equate “domestic” with “good” and “European” with “poor or adulterated.” There is great and lousy olive oil produced everywhere. The UC Davis study mostly found imports to be of low quality because their study focused on what’s on supermarket shelves, most of which is big-brand garbage that happens to be from the EU and sells because it makes you think it’s from Italy (when, as the fine print informs you, it’s actually a blend of oil from all over, and much of it old and of poor quality), and perpetuates the myth that the Italians have some special hold on good olive oil.

Shirley Sep 10 at 9:35 pm

nigratruo Sep 7 at 10:52 am

You can say it basic: The further away, the crappier the quality. The best strategy is to find a local seller and go visit him/her, check out the factory and making sure they have the trees, press it there and bottle it there and you are good.

Kim H Sep 4 at 11:26 am

Karen F. Sep 4 at 11:06 am

. . .I read that that study from UC Davis was PAID for by the California Olive Board, or similar organization, so that would mean that their findings would not be impartial. Of course they want everyone to buy California Olives and Oil. I can believe that olive oil is big business, but no one has really come up with a way to say how you can get pure olive oil for sure. This is sad.

nigratruo Sep 7 at 10:56 am

Yes, you can send it to a lab, very simple. But let me tell you that I’m originally from Europe and I read a huge article in the German news magazine called STERN and it was about “the olive oil scandal” and it talked about Europe, so it is everywhere. It is very simple, I receive 1 quart of olive oil that is worth 20 bucks. I then stretch it with 5 quarts of low level dirt cheap oil and sell these bottles for 25 bucks each, and now I have just made a huge amount of money and nobody will ever be able to get at me for it. (olive oil or extra virgin is not protected or defined, it can be anything) Most distributors and bottlers just can’t resist making a lot of money with very little effort. Greed rules supreme.

Jaslyn T. Sep 2 at 3:37 am

Wow, ok,.. so I do believe I am more confused than ever! So what am I to purchase for my family? Organic EVOO, or CA EVOO Organic or Regular? Am I at least correct to state,.. we are to avoid anything “light or virgin”, that it must be extra-virgin??? (We stopped buying regular Canola awhile ago now, due to the gmos, but do have one bottle of Organic Canola that we have just in case we need it for something,(???) at least it is not gmo,….. we use butter mostly, and up till now, Olive oil for sautees, which now is a no-no too. I guess back to using coconut oil and butter for sautees and the like.)

Lynda Hill Oct 4 at 4:12 pm

I buy Texas grown/produced olive oil or I use organic coconut oil from my local Farmer’s Market. I have not been nor actually seen their farm, but they did tell me that they have tours and “come on down any time” so I trust them. I will not buy olive oil at the supermarket any more…it’s all garbage. I thought that I just did not like the taste of olive oil because I never liked any that I bought at the store regardless of how much I paid for it. I read an article similar to this one a few yrs back and that’s when I just flat quit using olive oil and started using coconut oil for everything. Then I discovered the Texas olive oil at the Farmer’s Market and I love the taste of their olive oil. They also make lots of flavored vinegars that make excellent dressing when mixed with their olive oil. I don’t remember the name of the family I buy it from; but I’ll be at the Farmer’s Market this Saturday and will find out. Their orchard is only an hour or so away from me, so I really need to plan on visiting their orchard.

c. boynton Feb 10 at 9:57 pm

nigratruo Sep 7 at 11:01 am

Sadly, that is waaaay too much work. You would need tons and tons of olives. The oil is the very essence of every fruit or vegetable, there is only a very small amount contained in each one olive. You would need a whole orchard. And I wonder how much you would need for 1 quart of oil, probably a huge amount of olives.

Richard Meisler Dec 31 at 2:11 pm

Just a quick note; polyphenols- can range from 150 high or 300 high- up to 8oo; The average EVOO should nor be less than high 150- We are at 322.The higher these numbers the more peppery finish and tartness. .This is ok for people who like healthy EVOO. Makes a great topping. Acid levels .02-. 03 real good .Peroxide levels determine shelf life scale of 5-20 5 being long 1-2 years. Olive Oil with sediment usually oxidizes more quickly shorter shelf life. Look for these # and a Harvest date and year. ,also where it is grown.Color makes no difference, but a dark green bottle does.

Richard Meisler Dec 31 at 1:55 pm

My daughter purchased some olive oil in a pretty bottle. After tasting it it tasted like mineral oil. It was rancid and upset my inners. We are small production olive growers to the highest standards. Award winning certified and priced according to our chemical values which will be listed on the label with all pertinent information for the consumer. As a CA. grower will have to abide to many new standards this year, but we went beyond and are listing the polyphenols which also reflect on the antioxidants. The healthy part of the oil. We generally sell out months before the year end because of the stringent quality of EVOO. It is so sad when the oils in the store don’t compete with laws for the frozen sect or dairy section regarding their temperature etc.to keep the item fresh. OliveOil? Who cares. I care;That’s why we sell on line.

Jazzy Apr 13 at 12:22 am

del May 17 at 9:57 am

OliveChirper May 17 at 1:39 pm

No: canola oil is too cheap to adulterate. *Authentic* EVOO costs at least $15 for 17 oz, and refined olive oil goes for $5-$10 for the same amount. You can get a 48 oz bottle of canola oil for $3. That’s why it’s lucrative — and common — to put refined, low-quality, or seed-oil-adulterated olive oil in a bottle and slap an “extra virgin” label on it. It’s hard to think of something you could substitute for canola oil and get away with it without *losing* money.

del May 17 at 1:43 pm

OliveChirper May 17 at 1:53 pm

It’s healthier to fry with extra-virgin olive oil, because its higher content of monounsaturated fatty acids and (if you buy a robust oil) polyphenols reduce the production of toxic peroxidation products and carcinogens. (Yes, a zillion articles online will tell you not to fry with EVOO because you lose the polyphenols in the process, but that’s to put the cart before the horse: those polyphenols are protecting you from nasties. Yes, a zillion articles online will tell you that EVOO has too low a smoke point to fry, but this just isn’t true of good-quality oil; see:http://www.aromadictionary.com/EVOO_blog/?p=147 ).

Canola oil can be a decent choice as a salad oil base, eg, for a little bit of omega-3, particularly if you don’t eat fish — but I wouldn’t fry with it, or any refined oil.

del May 17 at 2:40 pm

OilveChirper: Thanks for the eye opener! I did believe that I was wasting good EVOO if I used it for frying since it had a low smoking point. Now that you’ve cleared it up, I also notice David Rocco on his cooking show across Italy, uses EVOO like water. Of course, he gets it fresh from the olive groves where the owners are featured as he prepares his dishes. Looks like it’s EVOO and real butter from now on, but that is after I find good quality oil!

Annettemarie Aug 24 at 5:20 pm

Canola oil is NEVER a choice if one wants to prevent an early painful death. Canola oil comes from the Rapeseed plant that is POISON. Insects do not eat the Rapeseed plant because it would kill them. The oil from the Rapeseed plant was used for industrial use. It apparently was decided to market this deadly oil for human consumption as it would be profitable. The FDA falsely claims that Canola oil is not GMO and is safe for human consumption. That is false. It is all about Marketing.

I was at a famous “Food Market” and had something at the hot bar….looking at the food with the yellow oil I had presumed it was melted butter. I found out later that it was Canola oil, (after I had become ill) I am extremely sensitive to MSG and artificial sweetener. Perhaps that is why I had such an extreme reaction to the canola oil.

Canola oil is everywhere, it is virtually in everything, because it is cheap, however, it is POISON. I use coconut oil for cooking and olive oil on salads or on dishes AFTER they are cooked. I store my olive oil in the fridge/freezer because that helps to retard if from turning rancid. When Olive Oil first turns rancid it does not give off an odor. All RANCID oils are carcinogens.

I am of Italian heritage and was raised on Extra Virgin Olive Oil and I have noticed lately that some Olive oils taste “different.” One bottle that I had surely contained or was actually Canola oil…it was terrible.

I would NEVER knowingly ingest canola oil. I am not suicidal.

Annettemarie Aug 25 at 11:14 am

No it is NOT healthy to fry with Olive Oil. Olive Oil becomes a carcinogen when heated. Olive Oil is wonderful, it is extremely healthy, but do not fry with it.

Wrong again. Canola oil is NEVER a decent choice for humans or animals. It is NEVER a choice, unless one is suicidal. It will lead to a painful death. It will destroy vital organs and lead to blindness.

Excerpt from Holistic Health Encyclopedia

Rape seed oil (Canola oil) is widely used in thousands of processed foods…with the blessings of our own government. Canola oil was first developed in Canada. It’s proponents claim that due to genetic engineering and irradiation, it is no longer rape oil, but “canola” (Canadian oil). They also claim it is completely safe, pointing to it’s unsaturated structure and digestibility. Although, I could not verify it, it is claimed the Canadian government paid the FDA the sum of $50 million dollars to have canola oil placed on the GRAS list (Generally Recognized As Safe). However it was done, a new industry was created.

The truth is, however, that rape is the most toxic of all food oil plants. Not even insects will eat it. No wonder farmers like growing it. It turns out that rape is a member of the mustard family of plants, and is the source for the chemical agent, mustard gas, which causes blistering on skin and lungs when inhaled. Mustard Gas was banned after WWI for this very reason.

Studies of canola oil done on rats indicate many problems. Rats developed fatty degeneration of heart, kidney, adrenals and thyroid gland. When the canola oil was withdrawn from their diet, the deposits dissolved, but scar tissue remained on the organs. Why were no studies done on humans before the FDA placed it on the GRAS list? Consumed in food, Canola oil depresses the immune system, causing it to “go to sleep.” Canola oil is high in glycosides which cause health problems by blocking (inhibiting) enzyme function. It’s effects are accumulative, taking years to show up. One possible effect of long term use is the destruction of the protective coating surrounding nerves called the mylin sheath. When this protective sheath is gone, our nerves short-circuit causing erratic, uncontrollable movements. Learn more (it takes about a minute or longer to load the info from Holistic Health Encyclopedia

OliveChirper May 18 at 12:58 pm

The Lyon Diet Heart Study, a large clinical trial, showed that a diet centered on using canola oil and a special trans-fat-free canola oil margarine for all culinary uses dramatically reduced death from heart disease in high-risk patients, and apparently even lowered their cancer risk. Moreover, compared to the diet that these (French!) citizens were eating before, using canola oil actually *reduced* omega-6 intake. A diet using some (authentic) EVOO and some canola oil would be even lower.

Remember, while many people do consume too much of it, omega-6 is an essential nutrient, and a few grams of it a day are needed for health.People became rightly concerned about the excess of omega-6 in the diet a couple of decades ago, because there was a lot of it in cooking oils and in processed foods, both of which were dominated by truly high-omega-6 oils (corn and low-oleic sunflower and safflower). Canola oil is 61% monounsaturated fat, , 21% omega-6, and 11% omega-3, and 7% saturated fat. For people eating a contemporary diet focused on whole foods, and not using these other oils, level of omega-6 in canola oil is fine, unless you’re serving the stuff up with a ladle.

Annettemarie Aug 25 at 11:23 am

Genevieve, you are obviously informed and a blessing to your family.

Lynda Hill Oct 4 at 4:20 pm

I agree 100% Genevieve. “They” lied to us about canola oil…it’s garbage. I cook everything in coconut oil…sometimes butter or ghee. Olive oil is what I use for a salad dressing and only at the Farmer’s Market where I know the Olive Orchard is an hour drive away.

Karen Mar 30 at 9:50 pm

Annettemarie Aug 24 at 5:02 pm

OliveChirper Aug 24 at 8:16 pm

Canola oil is not toxic, it is not particularly high in omega-6, and it is not GMO — it was produced through conventional breeding from rapeseed. See my comment of May 18, 2012 at 12:58 pm on the Lyon Diet Heart Study.

nigratruo Sep 7 at 11:12 am

All the information you can find on the internet points clearly towards that pretty much all Canola is GMO:

JohnK Mar 4 at 3:33 pm

OliveChirper Feb 19 at 7:54 pm

For a handy guide to authentic, high-quality EVOO, see the “Buyer’s Guide to Olive Oil in North America” by Tom Mueller, author of the famous New Yorker magazine exposé on olive oil fraud, and more recently of the excellent book “Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil:”http://www.extravirginity.com/great-oil/how-to-buy-great-olive-oil/

OliveChirper Feb 15 at 7:19 pm

First, I stand corrected: if I’m reading the second report properly, “only” 66% of the Berio samples that failed the sensory tests also failed one or more chemical tests. As noted, in any case, if the oil fails the sensory test, it fails. Extra-virgin olive oil may not have sensory defects.

On polyphenols: both McEvoy Ranch and Bariani had nearly twice the polyphenol count of Berio, at ~375 ppm.

OliveChirper Feb 15 at 7:11 pm

Andriy,

Meeting the sensory standards is a requirement for extra-virgin status in every jurisdiction where standards exist: the International Olive Council, the California Olive Oil Council, and the Australian Olive Association (and now Australian national standard). The tests are done by a panel of 8 trained panelists, and both the panelists individually and the panel as an entity have to be certified, all of which mitigates against any subjectivity. In any case, the standard is an extremely low bar: the oil has to be free of frank sensory defects, and have non-zero fruitiness. Arguably, for most consumers, the whole point of having the chemical tests (the “objective” tests as you call them) is to have a convenient way to detect oils that may not meet sensory requirements. In any case, in the second, larger study, all of the oils failed at least one chemical test: in fact, nearly all of them failed K268 alone!

Yes, the samples had different “use by” dates: the point of the study was to get a representative sample of what’s on store shelves. All of the samples were purchased at random from store shelves from September 9 to October 21, 2010, so ostensibly, all the Berio oils had a year to go. If their oil can’t hold up, the expiry dates are misleading and it shouldn’t be on the shelf. (It would help their cause if they had been using dark green or amber glass instead of the clear bottles they were using back then, and if they weren’t in the habit of back-blending previous years’ oils into newly-bottled products and dating it as if it were good for two years from *bottling* instead of a year or two from crushing the olives).

The scientists who did the University of California at Davis investigation *did* disclose their relationship with the California olive oil producing industry. It’s right there on the first page (after the cover page) of the report: “We are grateful to Corto Olive, California Olive Ranch, and the California Olive Oil Council for their financial support of this research.” And the chemical and sensory tests were performed independently by the Australian Oils Research Laboratory in Wagga Wagga.

Andriy Feb 15 at 8:19 pm

Sorry, I missed information that California olive oil industry actually sponsored study. It only means that the whole study is worsless because it was sponsored by a company which oil was tested. Only fresh California oil was tested and this is the biggest second bias here. I don’t believe that there is only fresh California oil on the shelvesas as well as I don’t believe that there is only old Italian oil on the market. This study is very biased and because of these biases it can not serve public any good. Though it does serve very well California oil industry who payed for this study. Same thing we can observe in pharmaceutical companies though FDA is doing much better job here.

I don’t buy that cheaper Berio in any way worse than more expensive domestic products. What this study showed is just that fresh oil is better that older one though it was not any news for anybody. What it failed to show it is wether old California oil is better than old Berio. We still don’t know if old California oil meets standards because it was not tested.

OliveChirper Feb 19 at 8:41 am

What you say above about the difference in dates was true of the 2011 followup report, and you’re right that it confounds the results (although it still tells you what was *actually available* to consumers in these cities at the time). But bad oil is bad oil even when it’s fresh. And in fact, we *do* know from the original 2010 report that the California oils were of much higher quality than Filippo Berio, Bertolli, and the other supermarket brands of similar age . If you turn back to the original 2010 report, you’ll see that all of the samples were purchased at random from local stores in three cities between March 3 and March 10, 2010. The samples of Berio that failed had ‘Best By’ dates of 4/12/2011 and 5/14/2011; the Bertolli flunks were either 12/31/2010 or 1/31/2011; and similarly, the many flunked mass-market oils all claimed to still be good for nine months or more. If the major importer companies’ oils can’t stand up over time, they shouldn’t be putting misleading expiry dates on their bottles. Meanwhile, all of the Corto and California Olive Ranch oils had ‘best by’ dates of 10/1/2011 (two years after the California harvest), and had dramatically better chemistry; and the McEvoy Ranch had a harvest date of Autumn, 2008, which equates to an expiry on the California standard of Autumn 2010, and it still passed both the chemical and sensory standards with flying colors, despite the fact that it was the *oldest* oil of the bunch .

This has nothing to do with “California oil” versus others: it has to do with well-made oil vs. crummy oil; with the big bottlers’ unsavory practice of back-blending old oil into later years’ product; with their foolish use of clear bottles, which speeds degradation; and with those supermarket-brand companies misrepresenting such second-grade oil as ‘Extra Virgin.’

nigratruo Sep 7 at 11:20 am

It might very well have paid for it, in the USA with its hyper capitalism, money rules supreme and nothing is done without somebody getting paid for it (which you could consider corruption, except that corroption in a real capitalistic system (hyper capitalism) is legal and well, money has all the power and money buys opinions, favors, and everything else) BUT the study might still be useful: if shows what is bad and what is good. It might not show all that is good (not considering olive oil from other states of the US), because the california oil producers wanted to use the (true) fact that imported oils are all adulterated to boost their sales. So maybe looking at other studies from other states will help here, as they will show which of their oils are good. 😉 Studies are almost in all cases always financed and it is important to realize who paid for it and what motive they had and if a study is total garbage, or if it still carries some merrit (like in this case)

Andriy Feb 15 at 9:22 am

Oliver, look at the tab in PDF document you provided. All numbers (objective data) regarding FilippoBerio met standards. The only standard that oil failed to meet was “Sensory”(2 out of 3). That is very subjective because it involves actual people testing oil and telling as what does taste as virgin and what does not.. I read the whole test regarding Flippo Berio as a pass because i dont relly on subjective method in such delicate subject us taste. Plus FilippoBerio contains twice as much of Poly(200) than lets say California oil

Andriy Feb 15 at 10:21 am

Oliver, look at the tab in PDF document you provided. All numbers (objective data) regarding FilippoBerio met standards. The only standard that oil failed to meet was “Sensory”(2 out of 3). That is very subjective because it involves actual people testing oil and telling as what does taste as virgin and what does not.. I read the whole test regarding Flippo Berio as a pass because i dont relly on subjective method in such delicate subject us taste. Plus FilippoBerio contains twice as much of Poly(200) than lets say California oil.

Regarding second study, the samples had diffrent “Use by Date” variable. California samples “Use by date” was more then 2 years(6/2012), Berio – les then 1 year(10/2011). How do we know that if we stored California oil for 1.5 year more it would pass all the tests?

There are many other questions to this study that I just have no time to talk about. But huge additional concern regarding this study is that people who were managing the study did not disclose their relationship with any oil producing company, including Caligornia olive oil producing industry.

Andriy Feb 14 at 9:36 pm

Noe Silvas Feb 27 at 9:18 pm

Steve Horvath Feb 2 at 11:51 pm

Well, I think if you want “real” Extra Virgin Olive Oil, than you must go to any Greek vendor who should have some and know all about Olives and Olive Oil. If you check the printed label on the bottle, somewhere on should read it was “Bottled in Greece,” but NOT in Wisconsin or elsewhere! If you can’t find one, I suggest you use Canola Oil. I do, because I can’t afford the real Extra Virgin Olive Oil on my meager budget. I hope this helped you in some or any other way? Regards, Steve Horvath, Chicago, IL

Thanks Steve for sharing but I would be cautious with canola oil. I don’t advise using it in any form. If money is tight, I would suggest not skimping on fats since they are so important to our bodies but with other grocery items. Buying grains and beans in bulk is a great cost saver. Buying conventional produce (except the dirty dozen) and washing well is a better option IMHO. Regular butter isn’t too pricey and occasionally goes on sale.

gypsea Dec 11 at 11:07 am

Oh please “NO” not CANOLA !!!!!!!this is rape seed oil. If a pregnant sow gets into a field of rape seed , it will abort her babies !!!! What do you suppose it will do in a human ???????Live defensively !!!!

OliveChirper Nov 23 at 1:40 pm

Hi,

Cute little vid. One point: your suggestion #3 was to buy EVOO “with the International Olive Oil Council seal.” Actually, that organization (now the International Olive Council) does not put seals on products, and is not a product-licensing organization. And, as the UC Davis study you referenced shows, some oils that pass the IOC’s chemical testing protocol were still defective, and required more advanced testing that the IOC has refused to mandate to detect damage by oxidation or adulterated, probably with cheaper refined olive oils. So even if the IOC were to start registering products, oils that met their low hurdle might still not be real extra-virgin olive oil.

Shauna Wilkinson I had no idea! Thank you for sharing! Love the video!

Lisa Di Lorenzo That is crazy indeed. Hey but you say to avoid ‘light’ olive oil, but it can be heated to slightly higher temperature so I thought it was healthier for light sauteeing?

Amanda Lucas Really? Wow totally sharing with everyone. Even my hubby. I am actually freaking out for friends who have food allergies.

Mama Natural ‎@Lisa, I’ve heard you can heat light olive oil to higher temps as well, but I’d be doubly careful choosing the right brand. Light oil is frequently made from pomace, or the leftover cake of olives after pressing.

Kate Sprague That’s disgusting! We avoid soy like the plague and its just dangerous for people with allergies.

Mistie Moore Jones CRAP!! Thanks for the info. We have been buying and using coconut oil (checked out the company, process and purity already) for about two years now, but still use olive oil for Italian foods (for flavor). I’ll have to keep my eye out now.

Tasha Bird Mar 29 at 4:55 pm

OliveChirper Mar 30 at 7:26 am

Tasha: the problem with pomace oil is that most of the oil has already been removed from the fruit during the original crush and centrifugation or pressing of the olives. Therefore, in order to get the last dregs of oil from the pomace, they use solvents, which (a) leave residues in the oil, and (b) extract the oil without bringing along the many beneficial compounds that are present in the non-oil components of EVOO, such as the phenolics, the squalene, and the carotenoids. It is really no different at that point from common refined seed oils.

Genevieve, and MamaNatural readers: please know that it’s far better to cook with a *high-quality* , authentic EVOO than with ‘lite,’ ‘pure,’ or pomace olive oils: *high-quality* extra-virgin olive oil stands up to the heat just fine:http://www.aromadictionary.com/EVOO_blog/?p=147

… and the phenolic compounds in EVOO (and not in ‘lite’ olive oil) reduce the formation of the toxic substances that are produced during high-heat cooking with oil.